Black Stain ?

[Curmudgeon]

I have a bunch of maple and ash duck call barrels made up. I really like they way these woods look when coupled with a black stopper (blatant copy of a GN-1 call, sorry Shawn). Since I still have a mess of maple to work with, and blackwood is so expensive, I'm thinking of using the maple I have for the stoppers, but then staining them black.  My question is.. Is it possible to stain maple black well enough that over time it will remain black ? I'm thinking of using a super concentrated black stain in DNA for a few hours ? Maple is so hard, I'm not sure it would absorb very much under any conditions. I do have a pressure/vacuum pot I could use.
I tend to bat about 500 with stoppers, so I toss a lot of them. I'm just not 'there' yet and don't want to toss high dollar wood if I don't have too.

Thoughts ?

[VECtor Calls]

May want to soak it in India Ink.  That's as black as black gets.  I've tried using black stain on woods before, and it was not near as black as I would've liked for it to be.

Parker

[dogcatcher]

Since you have a pressure tank you could probably dye them pretty well all he way through.  Get some analine dye from Woodcraft, then mix with DNA.  If you turn your stoppers first they should dye so deep that it will never wear off.  Set the pressure on 60 pounds and let them sit overnight and you have fake blackwood in the morning.

Marvin

[GN-1]

Richard,
   Did you stabilize that blank you sent me? I know I am off the subject, but when you said you had the tank I thought it might be your work. I really liked that material to work with. So much so that I bought some from staburl and turned it this past weekend. The blank from you was MUCH nicer to work than this stuff. The end result was nice looking, but I question if he uses enough plexi or not. Your blank was much heavier and more solid. Sorry to rob the post. Shawn

[Curmudgeon]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'll try the dye in the pot thing and report back.
Shawn, the blank I sent you was commercialy stabilized. I just turned one of those blanks myself and was equaly impressed.
I think I got those blanks from an outfit called "Unique Hardwoods" ? He had a heck of a price on that stuff if you bought it by the inch and took small pieces (cut offs ?)  Not sure he has anymore or not.   Don't get in a hurry for your order, I think he stabilizes it after you purchase it ?? My last batch of home stabilized stuff came out much better than previous attemps, but still a long way from the commercial stuff. I added some acrylic/actone mixture to the Minwax and it made for a much a better result.

[the_benz]

I have made a table out of birdseye maple and red oak.  the red oak was blackened with India Ink brushed on with 2 coats.  It is very black.  Wipe on clear poly over the top.

[VECtor Calls]

That table sounds awesome.  I'd sure like to see a photo of it! 

Parker

[the_benz]

This is a picture from a magazine of the table.  This picture is NOT my table!  My table is in my sons dorm room at college.  this is the only picture I can find but it is identical to this.

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[Curmudgeon]

Update...
I bough some black Transtint and used DNA. Turned and tuned the toneboards, then a 24 hour soak. What I learned is that Maple, soaked in alcohol for 24 hours (vacuum to -25, then 60PSI pressure) will swell about 20%, after drying it will only be about 10% bigger than original. This would not have been a problem if I had not already tuned them. Once tuned, it's pretty hard to do anymore turning or even surface sanding since it's an odd shape. I did manage to get 5 out of 7 back to a usable size. As for stain penetration, I found the surface and especially the end grain to to jet black, the rest is grey and some wood seems to have taken up very little stain. Now I have dark grey stoppers, but I sort of like the look since you can still see the grain. Pictures when I'm done with the finishing. I don't know if the swelling has affected the sound yet. I decide to do the fine tuning after they had been completely finished. Live and learn. I may do this again, but will soak rough turned stock, and finish it on the lathe before cutting the toneboard down.
 

[okinpa]

used pressure first,let it sit for 2 day's under pressure. then vac at 25 for a day.

first pre-drill the blank's an bring them to the rough size..you can't add material if it's not there.

in the end of hole's use tubing,dowel's/ect. to stick in hole very slightly.
as piece dries the hole won't go oval on you.



see-ya
steve
 :)

try leather dye...concentrated

[Curmudgeon]

The stain penetrated 100% so I may be able to get by with a shorter soak.
Yep, if there is a next time I'm going to rough turn them only, and finish after the soak.
Still undecided about the look. I  can't decide if it looks like a custom fininsh, or a poorly executed fininsh. May have to post up some pictures and get a group concensus.



 

[VECtor Calls]

 ;D  I still wanna see you try India Ink.  I'm hoping you would do it, so I wouldn't have to be the first.

Parker